Porsche enhances Panamera's 911-like looks

Porsche lowered the Panamera's rear bank of seats so the sedan's roofline could be tapered in the back to give it a more downward sloping appearance.

Porsche is hoping its second-generation Panamera will lure more European customers with the sedan's sportier appearance, which gives the car a silhouette more typical of the brand's iconic 911 coupe.

"As a designer, it’s no secret that the styling of such a large vehicle is the biggest challenge," Porsche designer Thorsten Klein said.

"The new Panamera should be recognizable as such but naturally one can bolster its strengths and balance out some of the weaknesses it may have had." By lowering the rear bank of seats, the roofline could be tapered in the back to give it a more downward sloping appearance. Extending the wheelbase also enabled developers to push the front axle farther past the A-pillar. The result was a profile closer to a grand tourer that "reflects a little bit of the 911's soul," Klein said.

While more than 150,000 first-generation Panameras have been sold since the car debuted in 2009, few Porsche enthusiasts in Germany chose to purchase what was considered a stretched version of the 911. Last year Porsche sold 17,200 units of the car, less than any other model range including the Boxster/Cayman mid-engine sports car.

China and the U.S., where oversized sedans and grand tourers are far more common, were the car's two largest markets last year, accounting for a combined six out of every 10 sold worldwide. The Panamera is the first vehicle to feature Porsche's proprietary MSB rear-wheel-drive architecture. The four-door vehicle comes equipped with all new engines and a revamped eight-speed dual clutch transmission.

The Panamera's lighter build, a broader selection of suspension tuning configurations and greater agility because of its rear-axle steering allows for the high lateral acceleration rates needed to lap the Nuerburgring's demanding Nordschleife circuit in just 7:38 minutes.

"The previous-generation 911 GT3 (street-legal racecar) took 7:40 and that was using ultra high-performance tires that can shave a good 8 to 10 seconds off," Gernot Doellner, vice president in charge of the Panamera product line, told Automotive News Europe during the launch. "The new Panamera bested that with a set of series production tires from Yokohama."

Group synergies: The Panamera's MSB architecture will eventually be used by other Volkswagen Group brands such as Bentley. All future VW Group vehicles equipped with V-8 gasoline engines will get them from Porsche's new powertrain plant in Stuttgart.

Rear-axle steering: A feature borrowed from the 911 Turbo. At speeds above 80 kph, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels to allow drivers to make high-speed lane changes. At lower speeds they turn in opposite directions to allow for tighter cornering.

Assistant system: Akin to the predictive route-based operating system found in Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrids, the Panamera now comes with InnoDrive, a more intelligent adaptive cruise control that uses mapping data, curve radiuses and elevation changes to find the most economical method of driving.

Chassis: The Panamera offers a broader range of chassis tuning from soft to stiff. This is possible following the addition of a third chamber to its air suspension struts on both axles that can give the dampers 60 percent more volume. This allows the car’s ride and handling to appeal to both the car’s core group of chauffeured Chinese customers as well as European customers who drive the cars themselves.

Interior: The Panamera is the first model to receive the Porsche Advanced Cockpit, which includes an analog tachometer flanked by two digital displays angled toward the driver to improve readability. The confusing array of buttons along the gearshift of the past-generation Panamera have been eliminated in favor of touch controls.

What's good: Plenty of headroom, five different types of back massages and a wide range of seat adjustments to support the lower back mean both passengers and drivers will feel completely relaxed when arriving at their destination. Despite a curb weight of kilograms, it boasts excellent stability and maneuverability, drivers will feel in control even when hitting 300 kph on an open road. The diesel is extremely quiet.

What's bad: No head-up display, which would be useful for a car that encourages fast driving. Scrolling through music or the radio can’t be accomplished via a button on the steering wheel. Sporty drivers will want to switch off the lane-keeping assistant since the car’s active steering can put up a constant and unwelcome struggle when one attempts to drive the ideal line.